Footwear System

ABSTRACT

A footwear system with a swiveling heel operable to facilitate access for adorning footwear. The heel swivels or detaches to allow facilitated access to an interior portion of the footwear. The heel joins with a body of the footwear at a hinge. The hinge allows the heel and the body to rotate or swivel relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation. The heel rotates around the hinge in a substantially horizontal direction. The heel swivels away from the body to form an open position, and then secures back to the body to form a closed position. Fasteners secure the rotating free end of the heel to the body portion. A pad portion at least partially covers the fasteners and the hinge to provide comfort while adorning the footwear. Straps extend from the heel to join with the fasteners on the body portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present Utility patent application claims priority benefit of the U.S. provisional application for patent serial number 61/710,489, filed on 5 Oct. 2012 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e). The contents of this related provisional application are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes to the extent that such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith or limiting hereof.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER LISTING APPENDIX

Not applicable.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to footwear. More particularly, the invention relates to footwear with a swiveling heel for facilitated access.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.

The following is an example of a specific aspect in the prior art that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. By way of educational background, another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is that a shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. Contemporary footwear varies widely in style, complexity and cost. Basic sandals may consist of only a thin sole and simple strap. High fashion shoes may be made of very expensive materials in complex construction and sell for thousands of dollars a pair. Other shoes are for very specific purposes, such as boots specially designed for hiking or skiing.

Typically, shoes have traditionally been made from leather, wood, or canvas. However, shoes are increasingly made from rubber, plastics, and other petrochemical derived materials.

Typically, a swivel is a connection that allows the connected object, such as a gun or chair, to rotate horizontally and/or vertically. A common design for a swivel is a cylindrical rod that can turn freely within a support structure. The rod is usually prevented from slipping out by a nut, washer or thickening of the rod. The device can be attached to the ends of the rod or the center. Another common design is a sphere that is able to rotate within a support structure.

In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary footwear system, with an exemplary heel portion moving, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed perspective view of an exemplary footwear system, with an exemplary heel portion in an open position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed perspective view of an exemplary footwear system, with an exemplary heel portion in an open position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of an exemplary footwear system, with an exemplary pad portion covering an exemplary at least one fastener, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Unless otherwise indicated, illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein.

Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the Figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention, recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown. That is, there are numerous modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive.

It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturing techniques, uses, and applications, described herein, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “an element” is a reference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, for another example, a reference to “a step” or “a means” is a reference to one or more steps or means and may include sub-steps and subservient means. All conjunctions used are to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, the word “or” should be understood as having the definition of a logical “or” rather than that of a logical “exclusive or” unless the context clearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. Language that may be construed to express approximation should be so understood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Preferred methods, techniques, devices, and materials are described, although any methods, techniques, devices, or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known in the art, and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein.

Although Claims have been formulated in this Application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present invention also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization thereof, whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any Claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention.

Features which are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. The Applicants hereby give notice that new Claims may be formulated to such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present Application or of any further Application derived therefrom.

References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” “various embodiments,” etc., may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the invention so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an exemplary embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may.

Headings provided herein are for convenience and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure in any way.

The enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise.

The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expressly specified otherwise.

Devices that are in communication with each other need not be in continuous communication with each other, unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices that are in communication with each other may communicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.

A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present invention.

As is well known to those skilled in the art many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal manufacture of a commercial implementation any system, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that any of the foregoing steps may be suitably replaced, reordered, removed and additional steps may be inserted depending upon the needs of the particular application. Moreover, the prescribed method steps of the foregoing embodiments may be implemented using any physical and/or hardware system that those skilled in the art will readily know is suitable in light of the foregoing teachings. For any method steps described in the present application that can be carried out on a computing machine, a typical computer system can, when appropriately configured or designed, serve as a computer system in which those aspects of the invention may be embodied. Thus, the present invention is not limited to any particular tangible means of implementation.

All the features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

There are various types of footwear systems that may be provided by preferred embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the footwear system may include footwear with moving components operable to facilitate access for adorning the footwear. The footwear components may move or detach to allow facilitated access to an interior portion of the footwear. Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will recognize that adorning footwear may require pulling or disfiguring a heel portion to allow a foot to enter or exit the footwear. The process of pulling the heel portion may be time consuming, and damage the footwear. In some embodiments, a heel portion of the footwear may join with a body portion of the footwear at a hinge portion. The hinge portion may allow the heel portion and the body portion to rotate or swivel relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation. In some embodiments, the heel portion may include a free end that moves and a stationary end that remains affixed to the hinged portion and the body portion. The heel portion may rotate around the hinge portion in a substantially horizontal direction. In this manner the heel portion may allow unobstructed access to the interior portion. In one embodiment, the heel portion may join with the hinge portion to rotate towards or away from an insole portion of the footwear. However, in another embodiment, the heel portion may rotate around the hinge portion in a substantially vertical direction, whereby the hinge portion positions in proximity to a footwear sole, and the help portion rotates upwardly. In one alternative embodiment, a toe portion of the footwear may rotate around a toe hinge portion to provide facilitated access to the footwear.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one fastener may secure the rotating free end of the heel portion to the body portion. The at least one fastener may include, without limitation, rings, eyelets with a string passing through, buttons, clips, magnets, a hook and loop fastener, and pins. In some embodiments, a pad portion may at least partially cover the at least one fastener or the hinge portion to provide comfort while adorning the footwear. In yet another embodiment, at least one strap may extend from the heel portion to join with the at least one fastener positioned on the body portion. In yet another embodiment, the at least one strap may extend from a rear sole portion of the footwear to join with the heel portion.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary footwear system, with an exemplary heel portion moving, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the present invention, a footwear system 100 may include footwear that provides facilitated access for adornment. The footwear may include, without limitation, tennis shoes, dress shoes, casual shoes, boots, cowboy boots, skates, skiis, medical shoes, military boots, public service shoes, and animal shoes. The footwear may include moving components operable to facilitate access for adorning the footwear. The footwear components may move or detach to allow facilitated access to an interior portion of the footwear. Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will recognize that adorning footwear may require pulling or disfiguring a heel portion to allow a foot to enter or exit the footwear. The process of pulling the heel portion may be time consuming, and damage the footwear. The footwear system may allow a foot to slide into the footwear, rather than squeeze inside the footwear. In some embodiments, a heel portion 102 of the footwear may join with a body portion 104 of the footwear at a hinge portion 106. The heel portion may include a substantially convex shape that contours a heel. The hinge portion may allow the heel portion and the body portion to rotate or swivel relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation. Suitable mechanisms for the hinge portion may include, without limitation, rings that pass through a peripheral edge of the heel portion and the body portion, a barrel hinge, a pivot hinge, a case hinge, and a butterfly hinge. In some embodiments, the heel portion may include a free end that moves and a stationary end that remains affixed to the hinged portion and the body portion. The heel portion may rotate around the hinge portion in a substantially horizontal direction. The heel portion may thereby rotate or swivel around the hinge portion either towards or away from a footwear insole. In this manner the heel portion may allow unobstructed access to an interior portion 108 of the footwear. In one embodiment, the heel portion may join with the hinge portion to rotate towards or away from an insole portion of the footwear. However, in another embodiment, the heel portion may rotate around the hinge portion in a substantially vertical direction, whereby the hinge portion positions in proximity to a footwear sole, and the help portion rotates upwardly. In one alternative embodiment, a toe portion of the footwear may rotate around a toe hinge portion to provide facilitated access to the footwear. In some embodiments, at least one fastener 110 may join with at least one strap 112 to secure the heel portion to the body portion. The at least one fastener may include, without limitation, rings, eyelets with a string weaving through, buttons, clips, magnets, hook and loop fasteners, and pins. Suitable materials for the footwear system may include, without limitation, leather, wood, canvas, rubber, plastics, and petrochemical derived materials.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed perspective view of an exemplary footwear system, with an exemplary heel portion in an open position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the present invention, a heel portion of the footwear may join with a body portion of the footwear at a hinge portion. The heel portion may rotate to an open position. The open position may include the heel portion rotated away from the body portion to allow access to the interior portion. In some embodiments, the heel portion may rotate around the hinge portion in a substantially horizontal direction. In this manner the heel portion may not obstruct access to the interior portion. However, in another embodiment, the heel portion may slide to the open position. In yet another embodiment, the heel portion may detach from the body portion to attain the open position. In some embodiments, the heel portion may rotate around the hinge portion in a substantially vertical direction. In one alternative embodiment, a toe portion of the footwear may rotate around a toe hinge portion to provide facilitated access to the footwear. In one embodiment, the heel portion may join with the hinge portion to rotate towards or away from an insole portion of the footwear. Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will recognize that the foot wear system may provide expedited access to adorning the footwear. The expedited adornment may be beneficial to users with specific jobs and medical conditions, including, without limitation, medical field personnel, public servicemen, animal footwear, medically challenged users with diabetes, swelling, high-blood pressure, and skin irritations.

FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed perspective view of an exemplary footwear system, with an exemplary heel portion in an open position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the present invention, a pad portion 302 may at least partially cover the at least one fastener or the hinge portion to provide comfort while adorning the footwear. The pad portion may include a strip of cushioned fabric that at least partially covers the mechanical components of the hinge portion and the at least one fastener.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of an exemplary footwear system, with an exemplary pad portion covering an exemplary at least one fastener, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the present invention, the pad portion may include an elastic band that at least partially covers the hinge portion. The pad portion may provide a more aesthetic design for the footwear. The pad portion may comprise a variety of colors. In some embodiments, the pad portion may stretch over the hinge portion to at least partially restrict visual access to the hinge portion. Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will recognize that the hinge portion may include protruding rings. The rings may cause discomfort to a foot. In yet another embodiment, at least one strap may extend from the heel portion to join with the at least one fastener positioned on the body portion. In yet another embodiment, the at least one strap may extend from a sole portion of the footwear to join with the heel portion.

In one alternative embodiment, a plurality of garments may utilize the rotating or swiveling mechanisms to facilitate adornment. For example, without limitation, a brim portion of a hat may rotate upwardly on a hinge to allow larger heads to slide into the hat. In yet another example, a pair of blue jeans may include a rear buttocks portion that swings away from the legs to allow facilitated adornment. Other garments that may utilize the rotating component to allow facilitated access may include, without limitation, underwear, t-shirts, socks, and skirts.

Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention, other equivalent or alternative methods of implementing a rotating heel in footwear to facilitate access for adornment according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various aspects of the invention have been described above by way of illustration, and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. The particular implementation of the rotating heel in footwear to facilitate access for adornment may vary depending upon the particular context or application. By way of example, and not limitation, the rotating heel in footwear to facilitate access for adornment described in the foregoing were principally directed to swiveling heels with straps and fasteners to secure the heel to the body when in a closed position implementations; however, similar techniques may instead be applied to assorted garments where adornment is difficult, which implementations of the present invention are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention. The invention is thus to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims. It is to be further understood that not all of the disclosed embodiments in the foregoing specification will necessarily satisfy or achieve each of the objects, advantages, or improvements described in the foregoing specification.

Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.

The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. Section 1.72(b) requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret the scope or meaning of the claims. The following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a footwear, said footwear comprising a body portion, said body portion being configured to be operable to at least partially cover a foot, said body portion comprising an interior portion, said interior portion being configured to be operable to at least partially receive a foot, said footwear further comprising a heel portion, said footwear further comprising a hinge portion, said hinge portion being configured to join said body portion with said heel portion, said hinge portion being operable to rotate said heel portion relative to said body portion.
 2. The system of claim 1, in which said footwear comprises a shoe.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said hinge portion comprises a plurality of rings.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein said plurality of rings are disposed to pass through said heel portion and said body portion.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein said heel portion is operable to rotate away from said body portion to an open position.
 6. The system of claim 5, in which said open position is configured to allow at least partial access to said interior portion.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein said heel portion is operable to rotate towards said body portion to a closed position.
 8. The system of claim 7, in which said closed position is operable to at least partially restrict access to said interior portion.
 9. The system of claim 1, in which said footwear comprises at least one fastener.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one fastener is configured to secure said heel portion in said closed position.
 11. The system of claim 1, in which said footwear comprises at least one strap.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said at least one strap is configured to join said heel portion to said body portion.
 13. The system of claim 1, in which said foot wear comprises a pad portion.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein said pad portion is configured to at least partially cover said hinge portion and said at least one fastener. 